The Blame Game

Boice: Pages 189-198 (Foundations of the Christian Faith) Adam and Eve: Elements of Sin 1. Unfaithfulness 2. Rebellion 3. Pride Man's view is essentially flesh or matter. Christian's view is spiritual. First sin which relates to Legalism (The Blame Game) Satan approached Eve and told her that God is not benenolent and that His Word cannot be trusted. When reading Genesis 3:1-5, it is interesting how Satan used the words to twist the true meaning to false and confused Eve which lead to convincing herself to eat the forbidden fruit. Satan changed God's positive invitation to eat any fruit except ONE by using negative prohibition designed to cast doubt on God's goodness. The first issue of Satan's temptation to make Eve doubt God's Word which lead her to disobey His simple commandment because of pride (to be like God). Satan to Eve: "Did God say, you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?" What God really said: "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Gen. 1:16-17) Satan to Eve: You will not die. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4-5) What God really said: "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Gen. 1:16-17) Adam was not decieved (1 Tim.2:14) therefore Adam KNEW what he was doing when he ate the fruit which therefore why the Bible never places the blame for the Fall of the human race on the woman. What Adam did was Apostasy which means he fell away because he rebelled God's commandment. Now on the topic of pride: Based on Satan told Eve, she figured if she ate the forbidden fruit, she would be like God so with her pride, she wants to be equal to God. When Lucifer (who became Satan) sinned due to pride: "I will cast off God's rule. I am too great to be bound by it. I shall declare myself autonomous. I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14) Pride is the primary heart of the sin. C.S. Lewis once said "It makes us all want to be more than we are or can be and, consequiently, causes to fall short of the great destiny for which we were created. Result of the fall: Spiritually: Adam and Eve died since God broke away the relationship with them and kicked them out of Garden of Eden. Death is universal spiritually and also by nature. Physically we are born alive however spiritually dead. When we have Jesus Christ in our lives, we no longer spiritually dead but spiritually alive even though our physical body will continue to decay and will die someday. Our physical body is temporal (Gen. 3:19) and sinful nature even though spiritually in Jesus Christ, we are sinless (Romans 5:19). I wonder what would happen if Adam and Eve confessed and say "I'm sorry" instead of blaming. (Eve blamed the serpent while Adam blamed Eve)?